Will England drop Jos Buttler for the semi-final? Harry Brook issues defiant message

Colombo – As England prepare for their T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final in Mumbai next week, the form – or conspicuous lack of it – of senior batter Jos Buttler has become the sharpest talking point in the camp. The 31-year-old wicket-keeper has mustered only 62 runs across seven innings, a sequence that includes five consecutive single-figure scores and a duck against New Zealand in the Super 8 stage at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Buttler’s tournament began with flashes of intent – 26 against Nepal and 21 versus the West Indies – but the returns have nose-dived. In his last five outings he has posted 3, 3, 7, 2 and 0, a cumulative 15 runs that underline a deepening rut. The nadir arrived on Wednesday when Lockie Ferguson found the outside edge and Buttler departed for a three-ball duck, extending a barren run that stretches beyond this competition; he has registered just one half-century in his last 24 international innings, the most recent ICC-event fifty an unbeaten 83 against the USA at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

England do have an alternative. Ben Duckett, the left-handed top-order batter, is available and has been pressing for selection, yet captain Harry Brook moved swiftly to quell any speculation that a change is imminent. Speaking after the New Zealand fixture, Brook offered an unequivocal endorsement of his predecessor as skipper, urging observers to weigh Buttler’s broader legacy against a short-term slump.

“There’s been a lot said about Jos,” Brook said. “I said the other day that he’s played 150 games for England in T20Is, and people probably need to take a little step back from that. He’s probably the best white-ball player to have ever played the game. He’s in a little bit of a rut now, but I think that’s an exciting thing for everybody in the world to know what he could produce in the next couple of games.”

Brook cited Buttler’s career strike-rate of 145 and average of 34 across 150 T20I appearances as evidence of enduring class, adding: “He’s obviously got a lot of fire in the belly, and he wants to go out there and show everybody what he’s made of. I have no doubts he’ll go out and do well.”

The backing appears to have cemented Buttler’s place in the XI for the last-four clash, where England will face either hosts India or a resurgent West Indies. Whether the embattled opener can repay that faith with a match-defining innings will shape not only the contest but perhaps the final legacy of one of England’s most decorated white-ball careers.